Kuching, Mulu and Kota Kinabalu Adventure

• A courteous English-speaking guide will be at the Kuching International Airport for facilitating your arrival, transfer by AC vehicle to your hotel of choice and hotel check-in. The rest of the morning is designed to give you some time to get used to the tropical climate and to relax away any jet lag that you may experience. Use the afternoon for a half day tour to explore the city of Kuching. The city brings together a number of cultures and has a flavor of all including the Malay, Indian and Chinese culture. You will also get to learn about the rich history of Sarawak.
• The evening tour highlights include the Gambier spice streets, India street, Urang Sarawak Gallery, the oldest Chinese temple in Sarawak, Kuching South City Hall, as well as the Brooke Gallery at Fort Margherita. The tour will include visiting a Malay Village, the old State Mosque that is situated on the waterfront and the Civic Centre with the Chinese graveyard. Other places of interest that should not be missed are the Kuching Waterfront with a view of the Astana, the former "White Rajah Palace", and other colonial buildings.
• Return to your hotel for a well-deserved night’s rest.
• Meals provided: none

• We have breakfast at the hotel and start for a 30 min drive to the small village call ed Bako. From here we take a 20 min boat ride to reach the national park. The national park covers the northern tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula and is spread over an area of 27 sq km.  Bako contains a wide range of vegetation – swamp forest, scrub-like Padang vegetation, mangrove forest, dipterocarp forest, delicate cliff vegetation and more. Bako also contains a rich variety of wildlife and a coastline covered with small bays, coves, and beaches. The park has a number of well-marked trails offering interesting walks ranging from short pleasant strolls to serious full-day hikes. Visitors to Bako are almost guaranteed to see wildlife.  Long-tailed macaque monkeys and silver leaf monkeys are ever present, wild boar is often found rummaging around the park HQ, squirrels and monitor lizards are also common. There is every chance of seeing the rare and unusual proboscis monkeys on trails such as Telok Paku and Telok Delima, particularly if you go out late in the afternoon.
• Once the tour is over we transfer back to the hotel in Kuching.
• Meals included: breakfast and lunch

• A day of activity starts with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel. We then travel to the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, originally built to protect the Orangutans and to rehabilitate captive and orphaned ones back to the wild.
• The reserve has its own rare flora and fauna including the giant squirrel, pigmy squirrel and splendid variety of birds. Trekking trails make Semenggoh an ideal place for wildlife photographers and nature lovers.
• The highlight of the visit is a chance to see an Orangutan, your guide will help spot one during the morning feeding time. This is when the Orangutans swing down from the trees for a free handout of fruit. This reserve is one of the few places in the world where humans can interact with their shy jungle cousins.
• Our next destination is Batang Ai, where we spend time with the natives of Borneo. This is a 290 Km drive through the countryside. We will stop at local markets and enjoy the local flair throughout the drive. We will enjoy a few well-chosen stops along the way: the first one at Serian town, where we will visit a fascinating native fruit and vegetable market. The other stops include a visit to the pepper farm and a stop for lunch at "Lachau", a small upcountry Chinese village. At Lachau you may wish to make some last-minute shopping, for necessities such as insect repellent or for gifts for the Ibans.
• The long road will take us to a beautiful lake called Batang Ai. The local lifestyle is what we are exploring on this trip, we shift to a traditional long boat for a 60-90 min boat ride over the lake to reach our destination, a Longhouse. This longhouse belongs to the Ibans (a local tribe), we interact with the resident families and relax over a cup of tea. Your guide will take you through the longhouse encouraging you to take part in daily activities.
• After dinner, an elaborate local ritual is planned for your visit, The Ibans will sound their gongs and perform their traditional war dance in full ceremonial regalia. Night stay is arranged in the longhouse which has basic accommodation in the community hall. You will be provided with mosquito net, mattress, pillows, and blankets for comfort.
• Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

• The longhouse is as close to nature as civilization gets, the morning will be greeted by the singing of cockerels as you wake up and start your day. After a traditional breakfast join the Iban people in a blowpipe demonstration.
• We now start our return journey by native longboat downriver to arrive back at the jetty. The drive from here to Kuching is by air-conditioned vehicle and we do stop an en-route for lunch at a local cafe. Night stay is at your hotel of choice in Kuching.
• Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• You will be received at the Mulu airport, a quick transfer to your designated hotel follows. Once settled in comfortably, change into your trekking gear. We now move to the Mulu National Park Headquarters for registration. Lunch is arranged at the park’s canteen.
• We start our adventure with a 45 min walk to the first set of caves. This walk is on narrow forest paths made of wooden planks that take you through riverine and lowland forests on limestone cliffsides.  The first cave we reach is the Lang’s cave which has an exquisite collection of stalagmites and stalactites. You are observing nature at its creative best, we recommend carrying a good camera for some stunning pictures. The next cave we visit is the Deer cave, this is famous for its passage which is the largest for any cave in the world. The Deer cave is also famous for its large (as many as 3 million) populations of bats. These caves are designated as world heritage by UNESCO.
• Once the exploration of the caves is done we move to the bat observation platform. The site of millions of bats coming out of the caves in the dusk is simply mesmerizing. It appears like black streams emerging from the caves. You will require a good camera as the light is low when the bats finally decide to venture out in the evening.
• We return to the park headquarters for a transfer to the hotel.
• Meals provided: lunch

• The day’s adventure begins with a half hour long boat ride. Our first shortstop is at a Penan settlement. This is your chance for understanding the old nomadic lifestyle of the people and indulge yourself in the local handicrafts market. The boat ride then takes us to the wind cave. A plank walk leads from the riverbank to the entrance of the Wind Cave. This cave is so named because of the cool breezes which you can feel at the narrow parts of the cave. This cave is part of the Clearwater system and has many impressive stalactites, stalagmites, flowrocks, helitites and rock corals. Some of these are illuminated in the ‘King’s” Room. A short walk takes us to the Clearwater springs, we take a short break here. 200 steps lead up through the forest to the mouth of Clearwater Cave. Clearwater is a fascinating cave system to scroll around, it has its own underground river system. Plank walks, paths and small floating bridges make this an easy and enjoyable experience. There are excellent photo opportunities for those who are bitten by the photography bug.
• We now climb down the steps to the picnic area. At the base of the steps, there is a crystal-clear pool, swim in the pool or just relax on the picnic benches and admire the rainforest scenery. Lots of beautiful flora and fauna around, watch the swarms of butterflies that are often found fluttering around near the river bank. Your guide will help spot the Rajah Brooke butterfly with its huge bright-green colored wings. A simple picnic lunch is arranged at Clearwater spring.
• Transfer to your hotel is arranged. The rest of the afternoon is available at leisure to enjoy the beautiful natural environment of the surrounding areas. There are a number of activities available at the Mulu world heritage area which one can join (separate from the tour). Interesting options include activities like canopy walk, a trek to a waterfall or a night walk. The park also has a short and easy botanical loop trail for you to explore. This trail has interesting information boards about the amazing flora of Mulu National Park. Mulu provides significant natural habitat for a wide range of plant and animal both above and below ground.
• If you missed the bats the previous evening, now is a great time to walk up to the observation deck, this natural spectacle is worth a view any day.
• Night stay is arranged at your hotel
• Meals included: breakfast and lunch.

• The morning starts with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel. We will have a transfer waiting to take you to the Mulu Airport for a flight to Kota Kinabalu. After a quick check-in at your hotel in Kota Kinabalu, we will start our 2-hour long drive from your hotel. The road that takes us to the Kinabalu Park is along the ridges of the Crocker Range. The park itself has the distinction of being the first UNESCO designated world heritage site in Malaysia. It is described as one of the most important biological sites in the world with more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna, including 326 birds and around 100 mammal species, and over 110 land snail species. It is also home to the highest mountain in Borneo – Mount Kinabalu.
• Your guide will take you on a trail to explore the uniqueness of the park and will then take you to the exquisite Mountain Garden. You will be able to see a large collection of rare orchids and plants endemic to Borneo in this garden.  Use the afternoon to go explore the trails of the park on your own. Night stay is arranged at the park in twin-bedded simple rooms.
• Meals included: Lunch and dinner.

• Breakfast is served early so that we can be with our guid e at the park HQ sharp 8:00 AM. We now start our trek to Mount Kinabalu on what is called the summit trail. The walk will take you from tropical forests of Oak and chestnut to the alpine forests of rhododendrons. Lookout for some unique local flora and fauna including pitcher plant and wild orchids. The trail has a few well-defined shelters, we will use one of these for a quick lunch which we are carrying with us. The mountain air is cool and gives a relaxing feel. We reach our guest house located at an elevation of 3200 Mtr. Above sea level. The place is simple and non-heated. We retire early with the knowledge that the next day starts very early.
• Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• We have to start on our treck at 3:00 AM, reaching the summit for a spectacular view of the sunrise. We now return to the guest house restaurant at Laban Rata for a good breakfast. The trek back to Kinabalu park headquarters seems much shorter and we reach before lunch. At 3:00 PM we start our drive back to Kota Kinabalu city to reach your hotel before dinner.
• Meals Included: breakfast and lunch

Notes

• We try our best to get the mentioned hotels, but during heavy bookings period, we may have to substitute within the offered category.
• The tour detailed itinerary may change due to unforeseen events - we will cover all that we have stated here only the program by day may change. For example, if our program states a city tour on Day 1, it may be postponed to Day 3 instead. This is mostly a last-minute adjustment and will be without any prior notice
• Some package can be booked on a private basis, but certain services may be on a shared basis only. This is to minimize impacts on the natural environment or if other circumstances require so. These services include boat transfers in Bako, boat transfers & activities in the longhouse and land & boat transfers in Mulu.
• Sightings of wildlife depend on several natural factors (e.g. weather) and therefore cannot be guaranteed.
• A longhouse is a traditional place mostly untouched by modern facilities, be prepared for some discomfort. We will take the best care, but You will be accommodated in the community area of the longhouse with no privacy. A mattress, mosquito net, pillow, blanket and clean linen will be provided. Simple sanitary facilities are available. Please note - Pets like cats and dogs might be encountered in the communal hall of the longhouse and livestock such as chicken or pigs are roaming freely within the longhouse compound.
• It is customary to bring some gifts for the Iban longhouse people, which can be divided by the number of families. Your guide can assist you during one of the stops en-route to buy some suitable presents. This custom is only applicable to Iban longhouse tours.
• The longhouse stay is simple, and we request you to please travel light. Your luggage can be kept safe at your hotel in Kuching.
• Please be advised that the accommodations at the mountain are non-heated and are managed by Sabah Parks. The mountain huts are with shared sanitary facilities.
• Do take note that your passport will be required for verification during registration at the Kinabalu Park office. Please bring it along with you.
• The trip back to Kota Kinabalu can get tiring and late, we recommend you stay back the night in the city and relax before flying out.
• The regulations require that we use a mountain Guide who is registered under the jurisdiction of Sabah Parks Authority. Climbs cannot be arranged without this. Do note that the majority of the mountain guides can only converse in basic English language.
• Regulations demand that children below 15 years old fill in the indemnity form upon registration at Park Headquarters.
• The following friendly Note is issued by the Sabah Parks: It is recommended that all climbers should have themselves medically checked before attempting any mountain climb. If you have a history of suffering from the following ailments, it is highly recommended that you should refrain from climbing: Hypertension, Diabetes, Palpitation, Arthritis, Heart disease, severe anaemia, Peptic ulcers, Epileptic fits, Obesity (overweight), Chronic Asthma, Muscular cramps, Hepatitis (jaundice); or any other disease which may hamper the climber.
• The company reserves the right to change or cancel should condition beyond our control render it necessary.